Association warns about phone scam

The Costa Mesa Fire Assn. warned the public Tuesday about a telemarketing scam, targeting Costa Mesa residents and businesses, that asks for donations on behalf of the fire association.

The fire association, which does not solicit over the phone, said it’s not making the calls. The association holds only one fundraiser a year for its charity organization and always solicits in person, said association president Jeff Janzen.

“These scams have been going on for years; we just don’t want our citizens duped into thinking that it’s us,” Janzen said.

The warning from the fire association follows a similar warning issued by the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce last week that callers were asking people to buy ad space on banners to benefit Costa Mesa High School sports.

Chamber of Commerce President Ed Fawcett said he received a call about the banner ads, and the caller claimed to be with an agency working on the school’s behalf. School officials told him they knew nothing about the banner ads and had not authorized such a fundraiser, he said.

The fire association is concerned because it doesn’t want residents to feel pressured to donate, said Costa Mesa Capt. Chip Dill.

“We want to make sure that anyone who does donate is wishing to donate and that those funds get to where they want them to go,” Dill said.

The fire association holds one fundraiser a year ? a golf tournament and dinner auction ? to support the association’s charities, said Costa Mesa firefighter paramedic Mike Kreza, who is in charge of the association’s charity fund.

The association charity focuses on community efforts. Each year, the association provides four college scholarships for Costa Mesa high school students.

“Where we can find a need, we try to help out when we can,” Dill said.

When the firefighters solicit donations for the annual golf tournament, they do so in person, Kreza said.

The Costa Mesa fire prevention department informed the fire association about the possible scam after learning of it from businesses and residents.

“I knew that it was not us,” Janzen said.

This isn’t the first time scammers have tried to operate under the cover of the fire association. It usually happens once or twice a year.

The only thing that can be done is to warn the public about the scam, Janzen said.

Telemarketing scammers are difficult to catch because the crimes are not often reported, said Sheila Cannan, an economic crimes investigator with the Costa Mesa Police Department.

People don’t call police to report the crime because they’re embarrassed that they’ve been swindled, Cannan said.

Anyone who receives a donation solicitation over the phone is encouraged to call the police to verify the organization’s credibility, Cannan said.